


A Series of Mistakes, in Hindsight

by EmeraldRoseQuartz



Series: Loki and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day [1]
Category: Avengers (Comics), Loki: Agent of Asgard, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Battle, Battle Arena, Fanart, Funny, GladiatorLoki, Gladiators, Hulk and Loki, Inspired by Fanart, Loki Alternate Universe, Minor En Dwi Gast | Grandmaster/Loki, One Shot, Other, Planet Hulk, Ragnarok, Sakaar (Marvel), Short One Shot, Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-10-05 09:14:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20486456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldRoseQuartz/pseuds/EmeraldRoseQuartz
Summary: "What If" Loki had ended up in the battle arena on Sakaar?





	A Series of Mistakes, in Hindsight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [@latent-thoughts](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=%40latent-thoughts).
  * Inspired by [GladiatorLoki](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/515612) by sillyvantas. 

> This fun little story is brought to you by an amazing piece of fanart by @sillyvantas on Tumblr. And by @latent-thoughts for bringing it to my attention. :)

In the darkness, alone, he could hear the nearly-uncontrolled crowd cheering outside the enormous metal door. Distilled light filtered in through the spaces and gaps of the barrier in front of him, shining an eerie mottled pattern on the pale features and translucent green eyes of the disgraced Prince of Asgard. Loki gripped the clunky sword nervously, the worn leather creaking and groaning in his palm. His heavy breath and the sound of rushing blood in his ears almost drowned out the chanting on the other side of that door, the savage audience stomping and screaming so violently that it shook the massive slab of steel on its hinges. But even _ that _ didn’t interrupt the one thought running through his mind over and over again.

How in the _ Nine Realms _had he ended up here…

Oh...right...

—-

“HEIMDALL, BRING US BACK!”

In hindsight, that had been a mistake.

But it had been a long day. After Thor’s surprise return to Asgard, being outed as an imposter in front of the entire Asgardian court, reuniting with his father on Midgard moments before finally being accepted as a son by Odin (which was immediately followed by the Allfather’s demise), learning the formerly-imprisoned-and-newly-released Goddess of Death was actually his adoptive sister, and seeing her crush Thor’s formidable hammer like a snowball on Muspelheim...well, admittedly, he wasn’t in top form.

That last sight had struck such panic in him that calling to Heimdall was the first thing he thought to do.

And then, before he knew it, he was spinning out of control on the _ wrong _ side of the Bifrost, hurtling through space until he collided unceremoniously with the ground in the middle of what appeared to be a garden party in a trash dump. Right at the sandaled feet of the Grandmaster.

“Wellllll what do we have here? Another lost little soul for me to care for, hm?”

Still dazed, Loki had smacked the stranger’s hand away when the Grandmaster reached to touch him, causing a round of shocked and anxious gasps from the eclectic partygoers.

In hindsight, that had also been a mistake.

“Ooooh, a fighter!” The Grandmaster had said, giddily. “What-uh...what’s your name, feisty?”

“I am not _ feisty, _” Loki had growled in response, hardly aware of the crowd around him that had gone eerily silent and were watching him like a pack of hungry wolves. “I am Loki, Prince of Asgard, Rightful King of Jotunheim, God of Mischief, and I will not be bullied by the likes of-“

Then everything went black.

It was definitely time to retire that line.

Upon awakening in the disgusting dungeons of the gladiators - which the insipid rockman kept insisting was called the “freaky circle” - Loki found he had a very uncomfortable obedience disk latched to the skin of his neck and an aching desire to scheme his way out of this place as fast as possible.

So he volunteered to fight the champion.

In hindsight, that might have been the biggest mistake of them all.

—-

Now, standing at the gates of the arena, armed with nothing but this ungraceful hunk of ill-forged metal and whatever magic he could manage to conjure on this unfamiliar world, adrenaline kicking through his veins, heart pounding, senses heightened, eager to get this _ over with _ and get off of this gods-forsaken planet...it occurred to Loki that he _ might _ be in slightly over his head.

The Grandmaster’s contrastingly song-song voice boomed over the collected cacophony of the audience as he announced the winner of the battle royal, but the ambient sound quieted slightly as he heard:

“And now, as you all know, we’ve got a new fighter who wants to try and win his freedom by challenging the champion! Are you ready for this?”

Deafening cheers exploded from the thousands of bloodthirsty onlookers. Loki gulped.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you - The Prince of Assberg - the feisty God of Misdeeds - Logee!”

Oh, for Hel’s sake...

If only to correct that egregious introduction, Loki decided then and there that he would do whatever it took to get himself out of that arena alive. The doors swung open into a blinding light, and thousands of people booed and jeered him. Lovely. 

Shaking off his nerves, he gathered himself and sauntered out onto the battlefield, arms spread wide, with a snarky, confident grin.

He turned around the huge stadium and took in the magnitude of the audience. Thousands upon thousands of spectators roared, soaring up into the sky where the top of the stands mingled with hovering ships. Loki spotted the Grandmaster’s box, and with over-enthusiastic dramatic flair, he bowed flourishingly.

“Yea, he’s great, he’s great. Let’s hear it for him. But now. Oooooo, the one you’ve all been waiting for…”

Impossibly, the crowd got even louder. Green fireworks of colored powder began exploding around the arena, signs and masks were being waved by excited onlookers. Loki looked at the gargantuan door on the other side of the battlefield.

“Oh boy, here he comes. The undefeated, defending champion. You know him, you love him…”

The ground began to tremble as the door slowly began to open.

“The Incredible...HULK!”

...

FUCK.

Of all the creatures that could have violently exploded from that door, of all horrors he’d endured, of all the worst possible scenarios he had considered…

“I have to get off this planet…” Loki whispered to himself in sheer disbelief. How had that beast gotten to this world?! What in the HELS was this place?! Was it specifically designed to trigger every fear he had, or was that just his dumb luck?

The giant green monstrosity came roaring out onto the floor of the arena, dressed in the same gaudy Gladiator-style armor that Loki had been forced to wear - at least he’s been able to change it from that hideous dark blue to a more suitable shade of green beforehand. But that was literally the least of his concerns, as the Hulk began barreling toward him on all fours, pushing himself forward on those rippling, huge arms and eying him murderously.

“Good to see you too, Bruce,” Loki said under his breath. He had about five seconds before the monster would be upon him. A fury of battle-practiced rage blossomed inside him - this would NOT be a repeat of what had happened on Earth. Soliloquizing to the green abomination had been - yet another - mistake. Not this time. He wouldn’t underestimate his enemy again; in fact, he already had a plan. He smirked.

Planting his feet firmly in the dirt, gripping the sword in one hand and drawing his seidr to the palm of the other, Loki locked eyes on his opponent.

_ Bring it on. _


End file.
